Oil heater and burner



Dec. 1, 1936.

s. M. MEYER OIL HEATER AND BURNER Filed Jan. 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l RNEY;

R f M .7 w WM A M n "mm Y B Dec. 1, 1936. S M ME ER 2,062,595 'OILIHEATBR AND BURNER Filed Jan. 15, 1934 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 5V6 0/ M. Me yer Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES rATssr OFFICE 14 Claims.

This invention relates to oil heaters or burners of the non-pressure type and more particularly to means for igniting such heaters.

The lighting of heaters or burners of the type specified has been a serious problem. In heaters having a plurality of wicks it has been practically impossible to light one wick without causing the wick already lighted to be extinguished. Furthermore, in order to light the wicks it is necessary to raise wick separating cylinders or chimneys in order to gain access to the wicks.

In other types of heaters in which the oil is ignited directly without using the wick it has been necessary to disassemble the burner parts and ignite the oil by placing in the oil pan or well ignited material, obviously a dangerous proceeding.

This invention has for its salient object to provide a heater or burner of the type mentioned with simple, practical and eificient ignition means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lighting mechanism so constructed and arranged that the operation thereof will automatically expose the wick or oil to the lighting means as this means is operated.

Another object of the invention is to provide electrically heated lighting means so constructed and arranged that the heating element can be moved into lighting relation to the wick but will not directly contact therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide lighting mechanism of the character described so constructed and arranged that a plurality of lighting operations can be carried out simultaneously.

Further. objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this application, and in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of a heater having lighting mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention, the lighting mechanism being shown in inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, partly broken away, showing the heater cylinders raised and the lighting element positioned in lighting relation to the wicks;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the burner showing the lighting elements in operative position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the base, contacts for the lighter and the lighting device;

Fig. 5 is an elevational View partly in section of the lighting device, two lighting elements being shown;

Fig. 6 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of construction in which one lighting element is shown; and

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram showing the circuit for the lighting elements.

The invention. briefly described consists of a burner preferably having a pair or a plurality of wicks, vertically movable cylinders for separating the wicks and lighting connections comprising a member movable upwardly to a position between the wicks and then laterally into lighting relation thereto. The upward movement of the lighting means will close the lighting circuit when this means has reached its limit of vertical movement and the lighting elements are so arranged that the high resistance wire or wires which furnish the heat for igniting the wicks will not directly engage the wicks. It has been found that when these elements directly engage the wicks, portions of the wicks engaged thereby are burned and furthermore carbon is deposited on the heating elements, thus rendering them less efiicient if not inoperative.

Further details of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the particular form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the burner comprises a base Ill having an upwardly extendingsupporting post I l on the upper end of which is mounted a spider frame I2 on which are carried a plurality or pair of oil wells or troughs I3, I4. These troughs receive oil from an inlet conduit I5 which communicates at its upper end, as shown at I6 in Fig. 3, with a channel I! which connects the two troughs. The troughs are also connected by similar channels I8 and I9.

Each of the troughs has disposed therein a wick 20 and inner and outer perforated cylinders 2| and 22 are supported on ledges 23 formed at the inner and outer portions respectively of the troughs I3 and I4. The cylinders 2| and 22 rest on the ledges and are not raised during the lighting operation.

A pair of cylinders 24 and 25 are also supported on ledges 26 disposed at the outer and inner walls of the troughs I3 and I l, these cylinders also being perforated. The troughs or wells I3 and I4 are connected only at. the channels I I, I8 and I9 and 50 between these channels are separated by openings 30.

The cylinders 24 and 25 have secured to their upper ends a plate 3| carried by a guide rod 32 slidably mounted in suitable bearingsand a rod 5 33 is also connected to the plate 3| and extends downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A member 35 is secured to the lower end of the rod 33 and is provided with a handle 35 by which it can be raised and lowered.

The lighting device is carried by a tube or cylinder having a lug or arm 4| swiveled thereto but held against vertical movement thereon. The arm 4| is slidably mounted between a pair of vertically extending bars or strips 42 and 43. If desired the arm 4| can be fixedly clamped to tube 40 and the spindle 65 in tube 48 can be swiveled. A pin 44 is secured to and extends downwardly from the arm 4| and rests on the upper surface of the member 35. Thus, as the bar 35 is raised and lowered the lighting device will also be raised and lowered.

The lower end of the tube 40 has secured thereto and extending laterally therefrom an arm 45 which is normally positioned between an upwardly extending pair of guiding members 41 and 48 which together form a U-shaped slot for receiving the arm 45. The arm is normally retained in its lower position by means of a spring 49 which is connected to the arm and to a lug 50 extending laterally from a strip 5| secured at its lower end to the base Ill and having the U-shaped guiding slot therein.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 the member 48 extends laterally at its upper end portion, as shown at 52, the upper end extending upwardly, as shown at 53. In this form of the invention a pair of lighting members and 58 are carried at the upper end of the lighting device, each of these lighting members having a high resistance wire 51 for the heating element. As this device is used it is first raised upwardly and then the arm 45 is moved laterally up the inclined portion 52 until the arm engages the vertical upper end 53. The lighting elements are then in the position shown in plan view in Fig. 3 or are disposed in lighting relation to the two wicks 20 carried by the troughs |3 and I4. Particular attention is directed to the fact that although the outwardly extending Wires by which the heating elements are carried may engage the wicks at their outer ends, the heating elements themselves do not engage the wicks since the wicks would be burned thereby and furthermore the heating elements would receive deposits of carbon which would seriously interfere with, if not destroy their efficiency.

The circuit for the heating elements is shown in the wiring diagram in Fig. 7. Three contacts A, B and C are shown. The contacts A and B are connected to the two sides of a power line. One wire 50 leads from the contact A through the wire 55 to the heating element 57 and thence through the other wire 55A to a connecting loop 6| which leads to the other heating element 510, the other end of which is connected to a wire 62. This wire is connected to one end of a resistance coil R, the other end of which is connected to the contact C. The contacts B and C form two blades of a switch and this switch is closed by a movable contact D which is carried by the member 35 and is movable between the blades B and C when the member 35 has reached its uppermost position of movement.

From the showing in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 it will be noted that the lighting members which are carried by a spindle 65 extending upwardly from the cylinder 45 are movable to operative position upwardly through one of the openings 35 between the troughs |3 and I4 and between the wicks 2B, 20.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6 the spindle 65 carries a single lighting element 10 at its upper end and the guiding members 41 and 48 are both flared outwardly or inclined at their upper ends, as shown at ll and F2, and are provided with vertically extending end portions '73 and 14. The spring 49A shown in Fig. 6 tends to maintain the lighting device in its lowermost position.

Operation The lighting mechanism above described operates as follows: When it is desired to light the wicks the member 35 is raised by means of the handle 36 and the rod 33 will raise the cylinders 24 and 25 to the position shown in Fig. 2. During this movement the engagement of the pin 44 with the member 35 will cause the lighting device tube 40 to be elevated to the position shown in Fig. 2. After the cylinders have been raised and the lighting device is disposed in elevated position the arm 46 is swung laterally causing the two arms 55 and 56 to be positioned as shown in Fig, 3. At the same time the switch closing member D has been moved into a position between the switch blades, thus completing the circuit through the high resistance coils 51 and 51C and thus the wicks will be lighted. The resistance coil, as shown in Fig. 5, is mounted in the tube 40 so that the lighting device can be plugged directly into a lighting circuit without requiring the use of any other resistance device or box. If a single lighting unit, as shown in Fig. 6, is used the arm 46 is swung first in one direction and then in the other in order to light the two wicks.

Although the lighting device has been described particularly in connection with the lighting of wicks it will be understood that it can be used equally well to lightan oil film in the type of heater or burner in which the oil is lighted directly without the use of a wick.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been particularly shown and described it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a heater comprising a support, a wick on said support, a vertically movable draft cylinder on said support and adjacent the wick, electrical igniting means for the wick, said means being movable vertically and laterally into operative position adjacent the wick when the draft cylinder is raised, an electric circuit, including a switch, for the igniting means, and means operable when actuated to raise the cylinder, move the igniting means to a point adjacent the wick and to close the switch when said parts have been raised.

2. In combination, a heater comprising a support, a pair of wicks on said support, vertically movable draft cylinders on said support and adjacent the wicks, electrical igniting means for the wicks, said means being movable vertically and laterally into operative position adjacent the wicks when the draft cylinders are raised, an electric circuit, including a switch, for the igniting means, and means operable when actuated to raise the cylinders, move the igniting means to a position adjacent the wicks and into lighting relation thereto and to close the switch when said parts have been raised.

3. In combination, a heater comprising a plurality of concentric, cylindrical wicks, a plurality of vertically movable draft cylinders disposed adjacent and extending above said wicks, a lighting device, means for simultaneously raising said cylinders and said lighting device, and means for moving the lighting device laterally into lighting relation to said wicks.

4. In combination, a heater having a pair of concentric spaced troughs for oil, a wick in each trough, a lighter comprising a heating and lighting member, movable upwardly between said troughs, means for raising said member, and means for moving the member laterally into lighting relation to said wicks.

5. In combination, a heater having a pair of concentric spaced troughs for oil, a wick in each trough, a cylinder between said wicks, a lighter comprising a heating and lighting member movable upwardly between said troughs, means for raising said member and said cylinder, and means for moving the member laterally into lighting relation to said wicks.

6. In combination, a heater having a pair of concentric spaced troughs for oil, a: wick in each trough, a lighter comprising a pair of heating and lighting members movable upwardly between said troughs, means for raising said members, and means for moving the members laterally into lighting relation to said wicks.

7. In combination, a heater having a pair of concentric spaced troughs for oil, a wick in each trough, a lighter comprising a heating and lighting member movable upwardly between said troughs, means for raising said member, and means for rotating the member into lighting relation to said wicks.

8. In combination, a heater having a pair of concentric spaced troughs for oil, a wick in each trough, a lighter comprising a pair of heating and lighting members movable upwardly between said troughs, means for raising said members, and means for rotating the members into lighting relation to said wicks.

9. In combination, a heater having an oil receptacle and lighting means including a heating and lighting member movable upwardly to a position adjacent said receptacle, means for moving said member vertically to a position higher than the top of the receptacle and, after the member has been raised a predetermined ex- 1 tent, laterally to a position adjacent said receptacle, an electric circuit for said heating and lighting member, and means controlled by said raising means for closing said circuit.

10. In combination, a heater having a pair of wicks, a lighting member movable upwardly to a position between said wicks, means for raising said member, means for moving the member laterally into lighting relation to the wicks, and guiding means for preventing lateral movement of the lighting member until said member has been raised a predetermined extent.

11. In combination, a heater having a pair of wicks, a lighting member movable upwardly to a position between said wicks, means for raising said member, means for moving the member laterally into lighting relation to the wicks, and guiding means for preventing lateral movement of the lighting member .until said member has been raised a predetermined extent, said guiding means having means for limiting the lateral movement of the lighting member.

12. In combination, a heater comprising a support, a wick mounted thereon, a lighting member carried by the support and movable vertically and laterally into lighting relation to said wick and comprising a high resistance electrical heating element, and supporting means for said element, and means for limiting the movement of I said element toward the wick, after the lighting member has been moved vertically and laterally into lighting relation to the wick.

13. In combination, a heater comprising asupport, a wick mounted thereon and a lighting member carried by the support and movable vertically and laterally into lighting relation to said wick and comprising a high resistance electrical heating element and supporting means for said element, said supporting means being constructed and arranged to prevent engagement of the heating element and the wick, after the lighting member has been moved vertically and laterally into lighting relation to the wick.

14. In combination, a heater comprising a support, a pair of wicks mounted thereon, lighting means mounted on the support and comprising a pair of high resistance heating elements movable into lighting relation to said wicks and means for moving said pair of heating elements laterally into lighting relation to said pair of wicks.

SVEND M. MEYER. 

